


The Two Magicians's Severance.

by Lanna Michaels (lannamichaels)



Category: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Genre: Magic, Magical Libraries, Omniscient Narrator, Post-Canon, Yuletide 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:53:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27690293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lannamichaels/pseuds/Lanna%20Michaels
Summary: In which John Childermass and Jonathan Strange borrow a book from Gilbert Norrell.
Relationships: John Childermass & Jonathan Strange
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	The Two Magicians's Severance.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [oxymoronic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/oxymoronic/gifts).



> Thanks to eccentric_hat for the beta!

A fine lady of my acquaintance has written a very well-researched tome on the Return Of English Magic, concerning all the particulars and figures of that august happening. It now comes to me, a less fine lady of the acquaintance of no one in particular, to pass a tale or two of what occurred next. For surely, the story did not begin with Mr. Norrell at York, nor did it end with Mr. Norrell and Mr. Strange in Darkness, with the man who was Stephen Black now a king in Faerie, nor with Mr. Childermass and Vinculus deciphering the Raven King's book. Those events are an ending of the Return, but they are the beginning of the Present.

Yes, I speak of events inside the Darkness, when Childermass stepped through shadows and found himself, an English magician, amongst the other English magicians. For Childermass was an English magician before Jonathan Strange and, perhaps, even before Gilbert Norrell, and one of many then, too. For what is a magician but someone who does magic? Some may try to insist that one needs be a scholar before being granted the newly-auspicious title of magician, but I find these arguments unpersuasive and lack the space here to fully refute them, for my task today is the story of the theft of the book of magic 'Of The Application Of Magical Circles To Meteorology' by C. Hamaagel, a book much known and loved in England, but which at that point was located in the library of Hurtfew Abbey and nowhere else.

"Childermass?" asked the perplexed Jonathan Strange. "Is that you?"

Childermass acknowledged that he was himself.

Within a short period of time, it was established that John Childermass had found his way into Darkness deliberately and for one specific purpose, a magnificent one that no one had before achieved. Childermass's goal was to borrow a book from Gilbert Norrell. He would then make a copy of it and replace the original.

Naturally, Strange found this a worthy endeavor, although he warned Childermass that he did not think the book would easily leave. "We have never tried leaving a book of magic behind to see if it follows us within the Darkness," Strange said. He seemed eager to try it. Whether that was for the curiosity of experimentation or the joy of stealing from Norrell's library, I cannot say. Strange did not ask Childermass to elaborate on his choice of book, but Childermass did so anyway, and Strange agreed with the choice of that volume to assist the magicians of England with combating both drought and vigorous rainstorms, although Strange admitted freely that he had never tried any of its spells himself.

Thus united in their purpose, they embarked for the Hurtfew Library. Strange and Childermass traversed the labyrinth with practice and ease. Indeed, Strange barely noticed its existence, and Childermass noted its existence only to notice the changes to it. Darkness had made the labyrinth warmer, an embrace of night rather than a burst of unfriendly wind coming from the sea. Hurtfew Abbey had seemed to shrink to contain only the two men who dwelled there now, and by shrinking, had become snug and cozy. It reflected, Childermass rather thought, the relationship between Norrell and his house. Norrell had not wanted to leave it, and so the house wrapped itself around him like a blanket. Strange walked through the house like a well-loved visitor, but he had his own house in the Darkness as well. Childermass wondered how Strange's house had shifted with these new changes. He imagined it now as some Gothic monstrosity. Perhaps he would visit it another time. As for Childermass himself, he thought not unfondly of these walls; for all they reflected their inhabitants, they were a longtime companion to himself as well, and he felt welcomed by their grounded magic. Still, he would not wish to encounter Norrell on this trip. They had many things to say to each other, but Childermass did not have time to do so now.

The library at Hurtfew was lit by several new fireplaces, each seemingly at a right-angle in time from the books surrounding them. Strange wandered over to one of them and warmed his hands on it, then produced a cup of tea from rubbing on one of the fireplace bricks. Childermass sipped at the tea and marveled at how it tasted of nothing at all. He could not tell if it was an insult or a compliment. Knowing Strange, it was likely neither of them. Strange may have forgotten to add taste to his spell, or may have assumed Childermass would add his own preferred taste to the tea. After a moment, Childermass added the taste of cinnamon and apples. Strange did not make tea for himself.

For the theft of the book, first they naturally tried Strauss's Extraction. For two magicians of this caliber, the difficulties regarding the metal pin and stained-glass window were easily overcome, as it would not be for you and me. However, it still did not work. They tried Botti, Rosa, and Ambrose to no avail; the book would not budge. The most effect these spells contributed was from the rope chain of Botti's entreaty tangling with the whistled prelude of Ambrose and sparking into sugar candy. In the end, they were forced to create their own spell, later called The Two Magicians's Severance. 

Both 'The Spellbook of John Childermass' and 'On Libraries' agree that the spell requires turning out your pockets and finding a use for everything in it. Spontaneity is a necessity, so as to combat all the library spell protections put in place. The element of surprise is the hardest to plan against and thus counteract, and, indeed, a fellow I knew some years ago swore he had stolen books from these two magicians using their own spell, with both of their protections unable to stop him, although I find his account suspect. The spell must be recited three times, twice with your back turned toward the book in question, and once with the book plain in front of you. Be certain to address the book as you would your lover, for you are asking it to abscond with you to parts unknown, and if it's going to do that, you may as well be polite about it.

However, Childermass and Strange's accounts do differ in some important particulars. Childermass would later include the following note in his Spellbook: _'Of utmost importance is a second pair of hands to catch the freed pages before they can fold themselves into all corners and draw blood. If a third person can be found, all the better.'_ Strange's notes in his book do not include anything on the matter. Indeed, Strange does not remark at all on the number of people necessary, in his opinion, to perform the spell. It may be that Childermass and Strange had different experiences with the spell, or that Strange later refined it without Childermass's participation and stole many more books from Gilbert Norrell. Too, Strange may not have noticed any magical attacks because he had grown used to brushing them off during his time in Darkness, while Childermass had not that experience to draw upon.

Nonetheless, however they achieved it, eventually they achieved it. With the book at least freed from the shelf, Childermass touched one hand to the wall and, with the other, kept strict hold on the book as he traversed the labyrinth toward the door. Strange followed him, keeping a steady eye on the book in case there were any last enchantments still to be sprung on them. When they reached the parlor where Childermass had entered Hurtfew, Strange clasped Childermass on the arm and wished him luck. Childermass stepped into the shadows and disappeared with the book, which turned a deep shade of red before fading from view.

Strange returned to his notes. He did not look up again for several days, when Childermass returned with the book of magic and a second copy for Strange's convenience.

Mr. Norrell noticed nothing amiss. But then again, he would not. For it was at this time that Norrell first encountered the time loop in the corner of the chapel and he was thus happily occupied for several years.

**Author's Note:**

> [Yuletide Reveal Post ](https://lannamichaels.dreamwidth.org/1173973.html)
> 
> [this post on dreamwidth](https://lannamichaels.dreamwidth.org/1163133.html); [this post on tumblr](https://lannamichaels.tumblr.com/post/639122843512324096/the-two-magicianss-severance-lanna-michaels)


End file.
